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With a wi-fi printer you can print wirelessly from various devices. Learn all you need to know about wireless printing, and see the best models available to buy.

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This affordable printer gives you excellent print quality and useful wireless options, including Apple AirPrint. Printing costs are low, too. Discover what printer we’re talking about by signing up or logging in if you’re already a member.

And here are three wi-fi printers to avoid

Being able to print wirelessly over the internet is a huge plus with a printer, but it won't matter much if that printer can't produce good-quality documents, photos and other prints.

The printers below fumbled their lines in our in-depth tests, and some are so bad they're Don't Buys.

Three wireless printers to avoid

45%

£69.98

Reviewed Apr 2017

There's no reason to bother with this big-brand laser printer, especially when you consider that it's not exactly cheap to buy. It does a good job of printing black text letters, but the wheels fall of the wagon when you print anything else.

Although this laser printer can print in colour and automatically print on both sides of a page, there are much better machines available. It's OK at printing in black text, but really struggles with colour printing. You’ll find better quality elsewhere.

This all-in-one inkjet printer initially looks as though it might be a good choice, but that all fell apart when we came to test it. Although it has useful wireless printing features, that doesn’t matter much when you see its dreary print quality.

How to connect a wireless printer

You can place a wi-fi printer anywhere in your home as long as the wi-fi signal is strong enough. Before printing, you’ll need to connect the printer to your network.

Most models have control screens with step-by-step set-up instructions. They’re generally easy to follow, but the small screens and basic controls can make inputting a long wi-fi password a bit of a pain.

Another way to connect is to select wi-fi auto-connect (or similar) if your printer has it. This searches for the network your computer is on, and uses this to connect itself.

Helpful features

Apple AirPrint: AirPrint makes it easier to print directly from an Apple device, such as a Mac computer, an iPhone or an iPad. You won’t need to install any additional apps or software. It’s easy to set up – just ensure that your printer and Apple device are on the same wi-fi network. Then either click the Print option in your menu bar on a Mac, or the Share icon on an iPhone or iPad. The only disadvantage of AirPrint is that it only works with Apple devices.

Google Cloud Print: if your printer is Cloud Print-ready, you can print directly from Google apps and programs, such as Google Drive on Android smartphones or Gmail in your internet browser. Cloud Print works with both Android and iOS devices, but you’ll first need to register your printer with a Gmail account. If you have multiple printers or multiple Gmail accounts, this registration process can get confusing.

Printer brand apps

All the big printer brands offer their own printing app that you can download free of charge on Android or Apple iOS. Most apps have the ability to print files and items stored in cloud services, such as Google Drive and Dropbox. They also usually provide printer status information, such as how much ink you have left.

Canon Print

Canon’s app enables you to control print, copy and scan jobs from a smartphone or tablet. Features include being able to take a photo of a document and then convert it to a PDF for printing. The app is easy to use, but you’ll need a Canon account to use it. To do this, you need a registration ID obtained by registering your printer via its operation panel. It’s a rather annoying process, but at least you only have to do it once.

HP ePrint/Smart

HP has a number of printer apps, but Smart is the main one. It’s a nicely designed app, with a bold and colourful menu system. All the core print, copy and scan functions are available, and the app also enables you to crop, edit and enhance photos before printing. HP also offers an ePrint app, but that’s being discontinued.

Epson iPrint

Just like the other apps, the Epson app enables you to print from anywhere in the world. It supports a wide range of cloud services, and offers a range of print-option settings you can tweak from your mobile device, such as changing the print quality and requesting double-sided printing.

Brother iPrint&Scan

Brother’s printing app offers a range of print, copy and scan options. Useful features include a copy preview function that enables you to see an image and even edit it before sending it to the copier. You can print remotely, but you’ll need to be registered for Google Cloud Print for this to work.

Samsung Mobile Print

Samsung’s printer business is now owned by HP, but this app is still available. Samsung’s app has a clean, clear menu system. It’s easy to set up print, scan or fax jobs, and you can monitor toner levels and order new toner directly from within the app (although possibly not at the cheapest price).